10 Things to do When You Just Can’t College Anymore

We have all had the times when college completely overwhelms us and we just shut down. It could be a week of midterms that killed your brain, or relationship drama that crushes your spirit, or getting a bad grade on an important test or paper. It happens to all of us all the time! So when you hit your limit and just can’t college anymore, here are 10 things to do to clear your head and cheer you up:

Play with the puppies at Anthony’s Pets.

I promise you, this always makes everyone feel better. Play with more than one puppy, too! My roommates and I actually did this today, and I played with four different dogs… One literally fell asleep in my arms and I about died from the cuteness.

You can’t tell me this wouldn’t make you all happy and ooie-gooie. You can’t.

Go get fro-yo at Bloomingberry in Woodlands.

You can get fro-yo from anywhere in Bloomington, but if you get it from Bloomingberry, you can use your I Bucks to pay for it. I always get the Double Chocolate fro-yo with strawberries and brownie pieces. (:

Relax in bed!

You could Netflix binge (which I’m currently doing with Grey’s Anatomy), read a book, browse Tumblr and/or Pinterest, or take a nap! Sometimes you just need to lay in bed all day, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Exercise with your friends.

I know a lot of people aren’t fond of exercise, but I am. It makes me feel so much better, whether I’m in a funk or not. The SRSC has tons of free group exercise activities all the time like Zumba and Cardio Hip Hop. If you don’t want to go to the gym, you can Youtube exercise videos for yoga or Zumba. You could even take an online barre class, which is my absolute favorite thing right now. Campus also has the Nearly Naked Mile during Homecoming week, which my best friend and I did. Anything to get the endorphins flowing (:

Have a movie marathon!

Watch your favorite Disney movies, or have a chick flick fest, or a Paranormal Activity marathon! Pop some popcorn, grab some blankets, gather your friends, and start the movie!

Go for a walk around campus.

IU is SO BEAUTIFUL. Walk around, take some pictures, breathe in the fresh air.

Top to bottom: a clock tower in the Arboretum, the walk to Ballantine, Showalter Fountain down 7th Street, a fallen leaf at Union Street Center

Have a craft night!

This is a frequent thing at my apartment. So far this year, I’ve painted seven canvases and drawn one. It’s an addiction. I’m also thinking of taking up crocheting… Creating something is a lot of fun, especially when you’re able to use it as room decor!

Four of my canvas creations!

Get pizza. Any pizza.

This is probably my favorite thing on this list. I LOVE PIZZA. There are so many awesome pizza places in Bloomington, both on and off campus. Pizza X, Mother Bears, and Cafe Pizzaria are some of my favorite off campus places. There are so many others. Woodlands also has surprisingly delicious pizza, and that’s the food court at Forrest. Pizza will make you feel better, I promise.

Cook/bake something!

Bake cookies, make smoothie bowls (it’s trendy right now), make some mac and cheese. Try out a new recipe, make your favorite food, find something fun on Pinterest. It’s fun to make something and then reward yourself by eating it! Food = happiness.

Play the 2000s Pop Playlist on Pandora and sing, dance, and laugh with your friends.

My roommates and I do this all the time. If you like early Maroon 5 (circa “She Will Be Loved”), Jojo, Lifehouse, and NSYNC*, you will love this playlist. You will sing. You will dance. You will laugh. You will feel better. (:

These are 10 things that make me feel better when I feel like crap, and hopefully you can try them out and see what works for you. Just remember that one bad test grade won’t ruin your life; one bad break up doesn’t mean you’ll be heartbroken and alone forever; one week of midterms is just one week. Things will get better, and these 10 things can speed up the process. (:

Alyssa Modos

English Major, Future Book Editor, Class of 2018, Fort Wayne, IN

I'm an English major and Marketing minor with the dream of working for a Big Five publisher in the Big Apple. I'm obsessed with my cat, I'm newly addicted to pineapple, and I like to go running for fun. When I'm not at the gym, you can find me buried under blankets in bed watching The Walking Dead. Every Friday is Pizza Friday at my place; it's my own little "slice" (heh heh) of IU Traditions and Spirit. Follow me around online and through social media to get to know IU and how amazing it is. You'll get to know me, too -- I'm a pretty cool person, just throwing that out there. (: Be sure to check me out on Spoon University (where I write about delicious, life-changing food) and The Odyssey (where I write about a little bit of everything).